The One With The Invasion
by Vellaa
Summary: AU. Our world we knew of has drastically formed into a lifeless core. Can Psychiatrist Monica Geller-Bing and her husband escape this deadly virus overcoming The United States, or will they fall into something they’re not and lose to this battle. MC!
1. Chapter 1

**TOW The Invasion**

**By Vellaa**

**Chapter 1**

…

**Somewhere unknown**

"Sir, I've lost all communication with the space shuttle. I can't seem to identify its oncoming speed. We're losing time."

"There's no need to panic. By now, the shuttle would have crash landed. Could someone get me the co-ordinates? I need numbers people!"

"Right away, sir."

"I've got them here. It's located at '38:54:18N 77:00:58W'. It's Washington DC, sir."

"God damnit."

...

**New York City, New York**

"_This just in, there has been an informed crash landing of space shuttle Patriot in the premises of Washington DC. If you can see on its remains, there appears to be some kind of foreign substance, very much like a fungus or spore. We have no recognition of how it got here but here is what Prof. Richard Burke has to say …"_

"Okay honey, time for bed," switching off the television, Monica tapped her husband on the knee and effortlessly pulled herself off the couch. It had been yet another long rough day for her at the office, and sleep decided to take over for the night.

"Aw, no fair," Chandler remarked playfully and soon followed, placing his hands restlessly on her shoulders from behind, allowing her to lead him through their dark living room of apartment 20. They walked into the bedroom they shared and wordlessly got ready for bed, until Chandler, being one who dislikes any silent moments, decided to break it.

"I really don't see what the problem was," he brought up as an after-thought, whilst undressing. "I mean, if that shuttle thing was in space for such a long time, there's bound to be something growing on it. Though, if it's anything serious I'm sure Prof. **Richard Burke **could handle it and rescue the day. Dumb old big true who thinks he knows everything. That's all I ever hear these days is Richard, Richard, Richard." He stated with sarcasm, making a face of disgust whenever he mentioned his name.

Monica ignored his comment, simply because she was too weary to argue over something out of her concern. Slipping under the covers, and getting herself comfortable, she let out a long yawn and looked up at her dear husband. Chandler, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts, looked down at his wife, and smiled warmly.

"You okay, babe?" he asked, concerned about his wife's slumber state.

Monica let out a sigh, "I'm fine, sweetie. Just waiting for you to get into bed so I can snuggle up to you," she stated happily, almost at the brink of falling asleep.

Chandler climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around her petite waist as she closed the gap between them, wresting her head on his shoulder. He kissed her head lightly, enjoying the warm feel of his wife so close to him.

"Goodnight Mon. I love you."

"Mmmm, I love you too, Chandler."

...

**Meanwhile, back at Washington DC**

The finest biologists were placed into the one room, standing around the broken space shuttle as it sat respectively atop the lab table. As each of the 12 studied logically as to what this green-like substance was, covering almost all of the remains of the shuttle, none of them knew of such a foreign organism. Fortunately, their facial masks covered the looks of distress written upon their faces.

The door suddenly opened, breaking their thoughts, as America's top Professor entered with such dignity.

"Okay, so what do we have here?" Prof. Richard Burke inquired.

"Professor, I've laid out some of its contents under the microscope," said Dr. Ross Geller, head of the science department, walking over towards a separate area. "I've looked over these cells and it appears to be none of what would normally be found on earth. **But,** I did find out that it is some form of living bacteria."

"So I presume this organism latched onto the shuttle while it was still in space," stated Prof. Burke, not taking his eyes away from the green goo wrapped around the space shuttle. Fascinated, Prof. Burke stepped up to it and reached out, but before he could get any closer, he was interrupted, and awoken out of his trance.

"Professor, I wouldn't touch it. We don't know how affective this bacterium may be," said Andrew Ryan, one the younger few biologists in the lab.

Prof. Burke cleared his throat, "Thank you…uhh."

"Ryan, Andrew Ryan," he politely stated, reaching out for a handshake. Upon receiving none, he enthusiastically continued with his intro. "I've just recently graduated with a degree in biomedical science. I've read all your work and love the one where you…"

The buzzing of a ring tone interrupted him when Prof. Burke retrieved the phone from his coat pocket.

"Yes, hello?" he made his way out of the lab, making his voice just barely audible.

"Don't worry about him. He's like that with everyone. Just don't try too hard, he **will** like you eventually," said Ross, sensing the uncomfortable position his associate was in.

"Eventually? How long have you been working for him?" Andrew inquired casually.

"Hmm, it's been almost, four years, I think," Ross answered, leaving his task at hand and faced Andrew.

"Wow, he obviously likes you well enough. So, how long did it take to earn his respects?" Andrew asked sarcastically, not prepared for the answer he received.

"Just last Thursday, actually."

"What?!" he asked, shocked. "That long?"

Ross grinned at the reaction he received. "I'm kidding," he said, shaking his head when Andrew let out a breath of relief. "But, seriously, don't worry so much. You don't want to seem too much of a kiss-ass."

Before Andrew could reply, Prof. Burke hastily marched back into the lab.

"That was Barbara, my wife, on the phone. I need to get home, so, gentlemen I'm sorry, but if you discover anything new let me know. I've got my phone with me." said Richard, and gently, with caution, took a small sample of the bacterium into a small glass container.

"I'm going to work on this at my own lab back home. That is, if my wife allows me," Prof. Burke chuckled and headed towards the exit. "It was nice meeting you, André," he directed at Andrew, and with that he was gone, before Andrew had a chance to even correct him.

"It's okay, I'm sure he'll get it right the next time," Ross said almost as a joke. Little did they know that there probably will not be a 'next time'.

...

_**To be continued**_

_**AN:**_

_Hi. I've had this idea for a while and finally had the guts to write it myself. It's my first ever fic and it's actually pretty fun writing it :)_

_This story will be very very long, and I hope you don't mind, since I often ramble on and on with my writing, although this chapter seemed short, more will be coming soon.  
_

_There will of course be lots of Mondler with romance, action, drama and lots more, but all the other characters will be in it too. Um, I don't own them obviously, nor do I own the TV show or the movie "The Invasion", which is really good, but if you haven't seen it then that's okay. You would still be able to follow the story.  
_

_So, whether you liked it or not or want me to continue, which I will, please review. Any feedback is accepted. Oh, and I don't live in the US, nor am I a scientist, so if I make any mistakes or if you guys have any advice, let me know now before I embarrass myself further. Thankyouuu :) _

_Please Review!!_


	2. Chapter 2

**TOW The Invasion**

**By Vellaa**

**Chapter 2**

…

Prof. Richard Burke grabbed his suitcase and stepped out of his car, parked in the driveway of his large finely-built home, muttering to himself various excuses in preparation of what his wife would say upon his late arrival. He opened the door and stepped into his prosperous living room, where his wife was sat restless on the couch.

"Thank God you're home, honey. I was starting to worry," Barbara Burke stood up in concern, but was rudely ignored as her husband walked straight passed her and into the kitchen. There, he prepared himself a cup of coffee and searched the fridge for anything to eat.

Barbara simply watched from the doorway with a look of apprehension. This was not the first time Richard had acted this way to her. He had been spending more and more time at the lab than at home with his wife. In fact, it was fair to say that their marriage could easily be over, if only she could get him to sit down and allow her to explain.

Richard closed the fridge and turned to his wife. Angrily he shouted, "Barbara, is it so fucking hard to prepare a decent meal around here?! I mean, Jesus Christ, you're home all day! Why don't you just make yourself useful for once!"

On the verge of tears, and in fear, she replied with a shaky voice, "I'm sorry Richard. I couldn't cook anything. I- I was out with some friends…for lunch today."

"Then why do you fucking call me in the middle of work when there's no dinner, for God's sake!" He continued to yell, taking one step closer towards her with every word.

"I just…wanted you to come home. I was really worried. I haven't heard from you all day." she near-begged.

"Argh, I could just **hit** you now! But I won't! Unlike you, I have a reputation to look after," his last sentence was softly spoken as he grabbed his cup of coffee and headed towards the basement where his lab was situated.

Placing his coffee on his desk, Richard took out the sample of the bacteria out of his suitcase and set it down under the microscope. He took a closer look through the tube and examined the cells being shown.

"What the hell is this?" he whispered to himself. More curious than ever, Richard took the bacteria from under the microscope and held it close to his eyes for a better glimpse. It was one of those moments where he wished he had thought of his actions more carefully. He did not realise that this green-like living bacteria was contagious and could easily have infected anyone who got as near as he was to it.

Placing it back down, he sighed, and took a seat at his desk. He thought it best to search the internet for any helpful information. It was hours later when Richard, still at his desk, drifted off to a deep sleep.

…

**New York City, New York**

Monica awoke at the sound of her alarm. The sunlight beamed through the bedroom window, making it difficult for her to keep her eyes open. Instead, she continued to lie down, simply enjoying the warmth of her husband's embrace.

"Mmmm, morning babe," said Chandler, rubbing his hand along her arm. Monica smiled at how she always got goose bumps whenever he touched her in that way, even after two years of their marriage.

She responded to him with a sleepy moan, suggesting that she was still tired. Both had not yet opened their eyes, but simply took pleasure in the moment. A few minutes later, she broke the silence.

"I could just stay like this forever," said Monica, in a dreamy manner.

"Well, we have a phone just an inch away. I could call in sick for you," suggested Chandler, now running his hand up and down the side of her body.

Groaning, she replied, "You know I have to go in today. My patient will be waiting for me." Finally, she lifted her head and stared at his face. She kissed his cheek and trailed down towards his jaw line. Hearing him moan in delight, she continued down to his bare chest, but stopped short before it got out of hand. Chandler opened his eyes and pouted. "I have to get ready for work, but I'll be home by six, I promise."

He smiled reassuringly, still not understanding how lucky he had gotten to marry such a wonderful woman. "I'll be waiting."

"I love you," she said, and kissed him romantically on the lips. Suddenly, she turned around and sniffed the air. "Is that bacon I smell?"

Monica got up and grabbed her robe. Stepping out of their bedroom she smiled at the three familiar faces that she was so used to seeing every day.

"Morning sleepy head," said Rachel.

"You took a while to get up so we decided to give you a head start with breakfast," said Joey, standing by the stove with sizzling bacon at hand.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind I used up all your eggs for the…well, eggs," said Phoebe sitting at the table, along with Rachel, who had her face buried in a magazine. Monica's brother, Ross, was not present as he had been transferred to Washington DC for work, and should arrive sometime today.

"Really? You used up all twelve of the eggs?" Monica asked curiously, and moved towards the kitchen.

"Well, six actually. Joey had already eaten before we came," Phoebe replied.

"Hey guys. Mmmm, something smells good," said Chandler, walking out in his robe.

"Yeah, they've prepared breakfast for us. Anyway, thanks you guys. I'm just gonna jump into the shower," said Monica and walked into the bathroom.

…

Sitting at the table, all four ate their breakfast, maintaining light conversations about work and such, when the front door opened and in waltzed Ross, looking just like a typical scientist with his suit and tie.

"Hey you guys."

"Hey Ross! Morning Ross! You're back!" everyone yelled their greetings, exchanging hugs and kisses before he sat down at the table, joining in on their breakfast.

"You came early?" Chandler half-asked half-stated.

"Yeah, I wanted to catch the next flight out as soon as possible. I really missed all of you," said Ross. "I didn't even get a chance to unpack cause of you guys."

"Oh, well sor-ry for causing your delay Mr Science Guy," said Phoebe, standing up and moving to the couch.

Ignoring her comment, knowing that she misunderstood him, he continued on. "So, where's Monica?"

As if on cue, Monica came out of her room, fully dressed, and smiled brightly upon seeing her brother.

"Hey Ross! You're back early." She said and walked into his embrace.

"Hey, is that so bad after not seeing your brother for two weeks?" he playfully quipped, kissing the top of her head.

"No, I'm just glad you're home. We really missed you," she said, before sitting down at the table.

"So, Ross, anything new and exciting happen at work?" asked Rachel.

"Oh, yeah, hey that reminds me. Anyone hear about the Patriot incident?" Ross asked enthusiastically. Receiving nothing but questioning glares from his friends, Ross elaborated further. "You know, the space shuttle that crash landed in DC two weeks ago?" Still not getting any response, he sighed and said a little calmly. "The reason why I was transferred there?" Everyone suddenly realised what he was regarding to, smiling and nodding their heads in comprehension.

"Yeah, anyway, when it crash landed, there was this green-like living bacteria covered all over it…"

"Oh yeah, I remember that. It was on the news last night," recalled Chandler, Monica also remembering.

"Yeah, and get this; since I was one of the few to investigate it, I got to actually meet **the** Richard Burke! I mean, I know I've worked for him for such a long time but I never actually got to see him in person. Isn't that cool?!" said Ross excitedly.

"Not as cool as this, check it out!" Joey, not paying much attention to the conversation at hand, triumphantly held up a toasted sandwich filled with all the goods served at the table.

"That's great, Joe," Chandler said, without much keen.

After Joey took his first eager bite at his sandwich, everyone bought their attention back to Ross.

"So, um, why are you back? Did you find out what it was?" asked Monica.

"No, no yet. Prof. Burke's going to work on it himself. In the meantime, I get to work back here until someone finds out more on this bacterium," said Ross and stood up from the table. "Anyway, I gotta go unpack. I'll see you guys soon. Thanks for breakfast, Mon."

"Oh, don't thank me. These guys prepared breakfast this morning," said Monica, also getting up to leave.

"Well, then thank **you** guys. See you later," waving goodbye he walked out the door.

"I gotta go too or I'll be late for work," said Monica, giving a quick kiss to Chandler. "And if you could do the dishes for me sweetie, that'd be great. I love you." Chandler's look of disapproval was priceless. "Bye you guys, thanks again for breakfast."

"You're welcome," said Phoebe from the couch, and as for Joey, what came out of him was more of a growl through his mouth full of food.

She left the apartment expecting another ordinary day, having not the slightest clue of the journey that lay ahead.

…

The elevator door opened as Monica strode down the hallway, greeting any of her co-workers along the way, until she arrived at her own office. Waiting by her door was none other then her frequent patient, Barbara Burke.

"Hey Barbara, I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting," said Monica as kindly as she could, since Barbara was one to be in a lot of distress.

"No, no. That's okay Dr. I actually came early today," Barbara softly spoke. It was a voice known to be filled with depression and sorrow that Dr Monica Geller-Bing knew so well.

"Oh, what seems to be the problem Barbara?" she asked in concern, as they stepped inside her office, closing the door behind her.

"It's…It's Richard again. Something's gone horribly wrong."

…

_**To be continued**_

_**AN:**_

_Hi again. Not much is happening right now, and I'm sorry if it seems boring or slow but this is just the beginning. I should be getting more into all the good stuff anytime soon._

_As always, I'd like to hear your thoughts so leave a review and please let me know if anything's wrong, or right ;)_

_Thanks!! xx  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**TOW The Invasion**

**By Vellaa**

**Chapter 3**

…

"It's…It's Richard again. Something's gone horribly wrong," Barbara panicked.

Dr Monica Geller-Bing sat evenly at her desk fully focused and organised. "Has something happened to Richard?" She asked.

"Um…" Barbara hesitated for a moment, fidgeting in her seat, until Monica noticed her uncomfortable state.

"It's okay Barbara," Monica encouraged sympathetically. "You can tell me anything. That's what I'm here for."

"Well, you see, that's the problem. I don't really know what happened. One minute he was acting normal…"

"When you say normal, was he angry again?" Monica interrupted.

"Yes, and then…he just…changed," she replied, with a look of unease.

"In what way?" asked Monica, jotting down notes on her clipboard.

"In a very **weird** way. It was just so, unlike him," she stated self-assuredly. "It's like, my husband's not my husband."

"Do you want to explain what happened?" Monica inquired, sitting as patiently as any psychiatrist would.

"Well…it all started about a week ago…"

...

**Flashback**

_The morning after Richard's outburst, Barbara Burke knocked on his lab door, as he had not yet returned from there since the night before. _

"_Richard…?" Barbara inquired nervously; afraid he might come out and shout at her. She knocked again, "Richard, it-it's me. Are you in there?" _

_Concerned, as a wife should be, she slowly opened the door and peeped inside. Having never gone in there before, the basement seemed very new to her. _

_From the doorway, Barbara glanced down the stairs and noticed the glare coming from his laptop screen, but Richard was nowhere in sight. Confused as to where he was, Barbara closed the door and turned around. She looked up and was surprised to see her husband standing right in front of her._

"_Richard! I- I didn't go in! I was just wondering where you were and you didn't answer, so, so I…I" Barbara could not steady her nerves as she was terrified of what his actions were to come._

_To her surprise, Richard remained silent, but had a rather creepy grin in place. _

"_Why are you so stressed?" he asked nonchalantly, but still creepy-like. Richard began to walk up to her slowly, in a very robotic way._

"_R-Richard. What are you doing? You're scaring me," said Barbara now backing away from him._

"_This won't hurt," he said and suddenly grabbed both her arms and knocked her down to the ground._

_Barbara yelped as she hit her head against the cool kitchen tile. "Richard!" she yelled. "What are you doing?!"_

_Richard did not answer as he violently held her in place. Barbara struggled to get away but his hold on her was just too strong. Then, very oddly, Richard spat directly onto her face. _

"_Oh!" she yelled, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, Richard wordlessly stood back up, leaving Barbara lying on the floor stunned and frightened as ever. _

_She wiped her face with the back of her sleeve and realised that it was no ordinary saliva. What came out of Richard's mouth was like a green-coloured slime, forming a slight burn in her eyes._

_Barbara gaped in horror at her husband, who blankly stared back down at her. Without waiting another second, she stood up as quickly as her body allowed her to and dashed out the front door, not thinking twice to look back._

_...  
_

**Present time**

"After that, I stayed at my sister's for a few days, but all she kept telling me was that he was probably sick. I've seen Richard get sick and this is not the way he should be. I really needed help and you were the only one I could trust," said Barbara, almost looking like a helpless child.

"Well, I'm glad you came to me. Just know that I believe everything you said. I'm going to be with you all the way," said Monica reassuringly, making Barbara smile for the first time since that incident.

"Tell me, Barbara," said Monica, "When did Richard's odd behaviour begin exactly?" she asked.

"I don't know **when** exactly, but it was the morning after he came home from work," she replied without indecision. Monica thought for a moment and wanted to know more details. She had never had any patients mentioning any odd acitivities, let alone about Prof. Richard Burke.

"Was he working in the lab that night?" Monica asked.

"Yes, yes he was. He was working late and I had to call him to come home," said Barbara.

Monica suddenly remembered Ross being at the lab with Richard and wondered if there may have been any connection.

"Dr… could it be something at his work that caused this to happen?" asked Barbara, as if she had read her mind.

"It could be possible. Say, do you know any of the people that work with Richard?" Monica asked.

"No, not really. He never talks about work when he's home," she replied.

Monica wanted answers and her only option was to seek Ross. Richard Burke's behaviour could seemingly be a sickness, and if this 'sickness' was caused from the lab, who knows how infectious it may be and whether it may have effected Ross as well.

Breaking her thoughts, Barbara's cell phone rang from her purse. In just moments after answering it, Barbara held a look of fear and immediately stood up from her chair.

"Okay Alice. I'll be there as soon as possible. If I'm not there in ten minutes, dial 911," Hanging up, she grabbed her purse and turned to Monica, wide eyed.

"That was my sister. She got a call from Richard and he asked for me," said Barbara, looking as though she were about to cry. Monica had never seen her patient under so much dread. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Wait!" yelled Monica. Barbara turned around. "Will you be alright?"

"I really don't know, but I need to get my sister out of there before he hurts her too," and with that she left the office before another word was spoken.

Seeing this as the perfect chance, Monica packed up and headed downstairs to get home and speak to Ross for answers. Her brother, being one of the top working scientists, should know what could have happened to Richard Burke. It was in a matter of minutes before she was out of the building and on the streets of New York.

…

Her cab had not been moving for almost half-n-hour and it was beginning to frustrate her.

"Can't you just take a detour?" Monica requested impatiently, poking her head out from the back seat.

"I'm sorry ma'am," said the cab driver, "but it looks like we're gonna be here for a while. I think it's best if you walk from here."

Monica sighed exasperatingly, since her apartment was still a number of blocks away.

"Alright, here," she handed over her tip and stepped out of the cab.

Being in the middle of April, the weather was beautiful; perfect for an afternoon's walk. The streets weren't as crowded as it normally would be either. If Monica knew better, she would have walked rather than taking a cab in the first place.

It was a typical New York's day: The air was warm; the sounds of traffic filled the atmosphere; people were staring at her…wait what? From all the stress of getting home, Monica did not notice a few individuals standing motionless on the sidewalk; all eyes were on her as she strode passed. Monica turned and spotted on the other side of the road a line of blank faces all gazing in her direction as well. They were not freaks as you would imagine. These people were ordinary New Yorkers: Some in business suits just getting off from work; some were even mothers with children by their side.

Monica felt intimidated, wondering whether she had something on her face, or if her skirt was raised from behind, though the way these people were staring at her, she could not determine what the problem was, as they held no emotions of any kind.

She made it to the intersection and waited at the crossing, still catching a few eyes on her. It was in a matter of seconds, when out of the blue, a speeding car drove briskly down the road and ran through the red light. Swiftly, yet tragically, it crashed right into the unfortunate car that had been in its way. Monica's hand flew to her mouth as she gaped in horror. The crash had caused several other cars to collide, forming one major cluster in the middle of the intersection.

Monica remained traumatized, witnessing the entire scene unfold. She could hear the beeping of cars and yelling of angry driviers in the background. A few onlookers made their way towards the crash, some dialing 911. Monica decided to go over for a closer look at the drivers who, seemingly enough, were dead from the crash.

Luckily, Monica did not recognize any of the drivers, but gasped when she looked into the window of the car that caused the crash. The driver's face was covered in a yellowish-scaly skin, covering its eyes, nose and mouth. Appalled and taken aback, Monica turned around and took in her surroundings. She noticed a the same people weren't moving, but were situated firmly to the ground, watching the scene from the sidewalk. None of them moved nor blinked, but soullessly stood still. Monica was perplexed by their odd behaviour and wondered why they seemed so cold and dead. Were they sick? Were they even human? What if Richard's odd behaviour had anything to do with this?

Monica progressed to retreat from the crash, but as she began to move, a few heads turned in her direction. Not wanting to cause trouble, Monica made no such effort to look back but continued to amble away. As Monica picked up pace, the staring people slowly began to follow her. They sauntered with such composure that it started to scare her.

Monica trembled in fear, repeatedly glancing back to see if they were following her, and indeed, they were. It felt as though she were being chased by zombies, like in a cheap horror movie, she thought. Suddenly, loosing all concentration, Monica tripped over a crack in the ground and fell to her knees. Fortunately, she did not hurt herself. Her phone and pager had fallen in front of her and reaching out to grab it she looked up to see a whole cluster of people over-crowding her. As Monica moved to stand, arms suddenly began flying in her face.

"Whoa, hey!" Monica was stuck in the middle, as hands grabbed onto whatever they could reach. They tugged at her clothes, purse and hair. Monica had no idea what they wanted from her, or what they were even doing, but it was enough for her to freak out.

"Get off me!" She shouted and suddenly, the person in front spat directly onto her face. Monica, being freakishly strong for a woman her size, pushed her way through and out of the cramped circle. She made a run for it, as fast as her heels could take her, and glancing back, saw that they did not follow her. Monica wiped her face and made a look of disgust at the green slime coated on her jacket sleeve. She continued to run, eager to get home to safety and tell someone what had happened.

...

Lounging on the couch - TV remote in one hand, beer in the other - life could not get any better for Chandler Bing. It was progressing as yet another ordinary day for him when, impatiently, the door knocked, causing a sudden panic to rise. The knocking soon turned into banging, when Chandler finally got up from the comfort of his barcalounger.

"Alright, alright," he muttered, wondering who on earth it could be at this time of day.

Opening the door, Chandler's frustration straight away turned into surprise, when he saw an out-of-breath Monica standing on the other side. Immediately, almost knocking him off his feet, Monica jumped right into him, wrapping her arms around his neck as tightly as possible.

"Mon, what's the matter? Why aren't you at work?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She looked up with wide eyes. "Chandler, I gotta talk to you. And I need to speak to Ross!" she stated, moving out of his embrace, and began pacing back and forth.

"Sweetie, sweetie," Chandler grabbed her arms to stop her. "You need to calm down. Ross isn't home but you need to tell me what's going on," he stated with integrity that it helped ease her nerves a little.

"Okay," she said calmly and both sat down on the couch. "It was so strange..."

Chandler rubbed her back soothingly as Monica recounted everything that happened in the last ten minutes.

"So, these people," Chandler said, "did they hurt you?"

"No, I think. I don't know. It could have been their intention. They just acted like zombies, like they wanted something from me," she replied, forgetting that one of them had spat onto her face. "I think Ross might know what's going on. Barbara said the exact same thing about Richard."

"Who, Richard Burke? He was on the news about an hour ago," said Chandler.

"What? Why? What happened? What did he say? Did he look normal?" Monica could not control her mental strain. Chandler, on the other hand, found it amusing.

"Normal?" he quipped. "He was perfectly normal. Too normal if I must say."

"What do you mean?" she asked looking up at her husband's face.

"Well, let's just say that, from today, I find him to be the most boring speaker I've ever known," he said.

"I'm serious Chandler. All jokes aside," said an irritated Monica.

"No, I mean it. He was so boring. He had no facial expression; he spoke with a monotone about some flu-bug being spread around the country. Apparently, the CDC wants everyone vaccinated by this month. There advertising it everywhere."

"What? What kind of vaccination?" Monica sat upright, as more questions began to pile up in her mind.

"Don't know. Joey's actually gone to the clinic now with Phoebe. You can ask them when they get back. You should've seen the two; they were so freaked out about this flu," Chandler laughed, not realizing how critical this may be.

"Oh, no. When did they leave? Is Rachel there too" Monica stood up apprehensively, causing Chandler to hold seriousness again.

"No, Rachel's' still at work. Why? What's going on?" he asked, also standing from the couch.

"Don't you see? This whole thing's a set up. Richard's infected with something and I'm guessing the CDC wants everyone infected too. That's probably why those people on the street were acting so strange. Ross should know more, and that's why we gotta find him," Monica said as she walked up to the front door, grabbing her purse from the table.

Chandler remained where he was, a look of disquiet written upon his face.

"So, what you're saying is…" he stopped short, waiting for Monica to finish his sentence, as he still had no clue what was happening.

"What I'm saying is that if we don't get to Phoebe and Joey in time, they're gonna become like those people," Monica stated as she opened the door. "You coming?"

"Well, yeah. I don't want these 'aliens' to hurt you," replied Chandler, walking behind her and out the door.

"Please," she retorted, "I'll probably end up being the one protecting you."

Chandler's ordinary day had, at this instant, distorted into something far more than normal, but into a whole new surprising journey that could gravely change their lives forever.

_...  
_

_**To be continued**_

_**AN:**_

_Wow, long chapter. That was hard to write. There was just so many ideas in my mind. Before I began this story I never actually thought it through, but was too excited to write a Mondler fic about this movie. Sorry if it took long, but now that school has started and everything, I'm gonna be pretty busy and might take at least a week or more to update every chapter._

_Anywhooo, let me know how this one went. Oh, and thanks for the reviews. I know it's not much but since this is my first fic, I've never had reviews before and it's really exciting ;)  
_

_Oh and just to let you know, Richard and Monica don't have any connections and never dated. This fic is, and will be, very AU._

_So, please review!!_

_Thanks ;)  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**TOW The Invasion**

**By Vellaa**

**Chapter 4**

…

"Taxi!" Waving his arms frantically in the air on the edge of the curb, Chandler's effort in obtaining Monica and himself a cab had still remained unsuccessful.

"Why won't they stop?" he turned to his wife, a scowl written upon his face.

Monica was also puzzled by the number of taxis that drove straight passed them, as though the two were invisible to the drivers' eyes. "I have no idea," she replied dazzled.

Chandler sighed as he raked his hand through his hair, looking around for any kind of transportation they could use to get to their friends, whose lives could very well be at stake.

"I guess we just have to walk," said Monica, though not at all obliged to do so, after what she had been through the last time she walked back from work.

"No, it looks too dangerous," he warned, studying the busy streets and amongst finding several strangers in the distance staring at them blankly he turned back to his wife, "I've already spotted at least a hundred people staring at us. Plus, we won't make it in time. Joey and Phoebe would have arrived at the clinic by now," Chandler stated.

A few moments later, Monica broke their despondent situation. "Hey, look," She pointed towards a cab parked near the curb a few feet away. "There's one there. Quick, c'mon!"

They both ran towards the vacant cab, all the while attracting unwanted attention by a few passer-by's. It was in a matter of seconds when Chandler frenetically knocked onto the cab driver's window, gaining the unhappy man's attention.

"Hey!" Chandler shouted.

Lifting his head from his newspaper, the cab driver slightly jumped as he spotted the two terrified individuals standing outside his cab. "Get lost! I'm not taking any passengers!" the cab driver bellowed, through his window.

"What! Why!?" Chandler asked angrily. "You're not even doing anything!"

Ignoring them, the cab driver started up his engine, about to take off but Chandler was not going to let this go.

Fear struck as Monica suddenly noticed a few onlookers making their way towards them, in their weird zombie like way. "Chandler…" she stated, grabbing her husband's arm. Chandler could hear the worry in her voice and immediately saw what was freaking her out. People were now crossing the street, making their way toward them, though they did not hold the slightest emotion, nor were they looking at all eager. It brought back unwanted memories from Monica's early experience.

"Look, pal! We're not asking you a big favour. You need to get us out of here now!" yelled Chandler, jogging to keep up with the cab, as well as beating its back window.

The cab came to a halt and the driver rolled down his window again. "Look, I don't wanna cause any trouble, and that means no alien freaks in my cab!"

Chandler's frustration at the driver only increased, but Monica knew what he was talking about and stepped forward to endorse in.

"No, no, we're not one of them! We're normal people!" She begged, ignoring how odd her sentence sounded to her own ears.

The cab driver thought as though it were a tough decision before Chandler interrupted him impatiently.

"Take as much time as you need. We're not in a hurry at all," Chandler remarked sarcastically.

"Alright, alright, hop in. Quickly!" the cab driver unlocked the doors, all the while monitoring his surroundings to see if anyone was watching.

Monica and Chandler jumped into the back seats before the cab hurriedly skidded off and into the busy traffic.

"Thanks. We appreciate it," Chandler said moments later, a little calmly than before.

"Yeah, you better. I'm taking a big risk here," said the driver.

"Why?" asked Monica, and scowled when the driver scoffed.

"Haven't you heard? Everyone's been acting so strange these last couple of days. There's already been over 200 cabs recorded to be lost. They couldn't have been robbed. That would be just too many in just under week." he said, in his own ratty voice.

"So, what happened?" asked Chandler, accepting Monica's hand into his own, squeezing it gently for her comfort.

"Well, I don't know," he stopped short until his cab slowed to a stop at the red light, "but rumour has it, they were attacked by their passengers. Why do you think none of the cab's are on service? I was safe until you guys showed up," he added, looking at them through his mirror.

"Sorry, but it's an emergency," said Monica, her voice quivering. "Actually," she whispered into Chandler's ear, to prevent the driver from over-hearing, "We should stop by to see Ross. I think he may be able to help."

"You sure?" Chandler asked.

"Yeah," she whispered back.

"Excuse me?" Chandler politely requested. "Could you make a right at 4th? We need to get to NYU."

"Alright," the cab driver carelessly complied, and as soon as the light flashed green, the cab drifted off down the road.

Chandler, feeling Monica's body tense up, let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her. Monica leaned into his side as he kissed the top of her head. She sighed and let her eyes close as the all too familiar scent of her husband settled into her comfort.

"Don't worry. Knowing them they would've figured something out by now. I'm sure they're okay," Chandler whispered into her hair, knowing well where her thoughts were.

Monica let out long shaky breath to try and steady her nerves. "I hope so," she whispered back. All of this felt surreal and she still could not understand what was going on. Ross was now her only hope, though the state of his well-being was yet unknown.

…

They both let out deep breaths of relief as the large building finally came into view.

"We're here," said the cab driver, before rolling to a stop. "You should be safe here. I don't think there's any weirdos around," said the driver, surprisingly changing from aggravated to concerning.

"Okay, well thanks again," said Chandler handing over the fee. His arm still around her, Chandler looked down at Monica whose head was turned away from him.

"You okay? We don't have to do this if you don't want to," he whispered, nuzzling up against her cheek.

"No. We have to. I wanna know what's going on," said Monica, her head remained locked in place, gazing upon the freakishly immense building.

Without further discussion, Chandler reached passed her and opened her door. Monica cautiously stepped out, Chandler following close behind. She was out of his arms for a few seconds until he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. The two walked up the front stairs of New York University and entered the main lobby through the glass doors.

The lobby was quiet. Too quiet, in fact - No students wondering around, or professors waltzing about. It was almost deserted.

"Hmm. I guess college isn't as exciting as it used to be," Chandler remarked sarcastically, but his face held no such humor. Instead, he had worry lines edged along his forehead.

Monica examined the room until her eyes landed on the front desk. They both walked up to it, the only sound filling the room coming from Monica's stilettos. Expecting no-one to be sitting behind the glass window, Monica almost jumped at the sight of an elderly woman at the desk. Both Chandler and Monica grimaced at the woman's state, as she was trembling in fatal shock, with eyes wide open in alert, as though she were on the lookout for something. It seemed as though the woman had no idea they were there, since she did not at all lift up her eyes from the desk in front of her.

In order to gain her attention, Chandler gently tapped on the glass window that was separating the elderly woman from him and Monica.

"Uh, hello?" he questioned.

The trembling woman remained still, as though she did not hear. It took several more knocks on the window until finally she lifted her rickety head, and her eyes widened more when she spotted the two strangers standing behind the glass. They could hear the sounds of her breathing rise, and her face suddenly changed from shocked to incurable fear.

"No! Get away from me!" she yelled defensively, yet her voice depicted more fear than courage.

Monica and Chandler were taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"No, it's okay. We're not trying to hurt you," Monica affirmed serenely, having known how to control one's anger through her psychology course. She smiled slight when the receptionist began to loose her temper, but it only increased when Chandler requested a simple favour.

"We just need you to help us find someone," he said evenly.

"No! Please! Stay away!" the woman's deafening cry was petrifying. "Leave me alone!"

Adrenalin shot right through Monica and she could feel her heart racing against her chest. The woman continued to cry, screaming words that pierced though their ears. Chandler's hold on Monica's hand tightened as he pulled her away from the scene and down the hall. Their only chance was to find Ross themselves.

As the sounds of the woman's cries died down, Monica let go of her ear and turned to Chandler.

"What the **hell** was that?" she asked stunned and wide-eyed.

Chandler replied with a slow shake of his head. "I have no idea," he muttered softly.

Letting go of his hand, Monica gradually stepped up to one of the classrooms, checking to see if there were any people around, or at least signs of any life in the building. Even the halls were deserted, which was odd for this time of day since classes were still scheduled to be progressing. Cautiously, Monica peeked through the window and into the classroom, though what she was about to see was not prepared for.

"Oh my God. Chandler," she covered her mouth, her body too tense and shaken up to even look away.

Alarmed, Chandler walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Oh my God," he said as his eyes landed on forms of what looked to be like splashes of sticky yellowish-webs all over the classroom. The shapes of human bodies could be made out from underneath the goo, as though these people were stuck underneath it, though not at all moving.

"Mon, maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea," said Chandler, concerned, looking directly at Monica.

The two stood completely still in the silent hallway, with Chandler's hand placed firmly on her shoulder. Monica faintly shook her head, mouth open agape. "No," she muttered, finally looking away from the peculiar scene. "We have to look for Ross. I need to know that he's safe," she said. Without waiting for Chandler to stop her, Monica marched down the hallway. Every University contained approximately one science lab situated within the building, so finding one should not be hard, so as Monica thought.

Turning the corner, Monica briskly walked down the dimly lit hall keeping a close eye for anything else creepy or unusual. It was not long until finally she reached a sign with 'Room 102 Science Lab.' written upon it. Before reaching out for the door handle, Monica turned around to find Chandler stumbling up behind her, worn and puffed out.

"Mon, you've got to slow down. There's a reason why I didn't make it into the basketball team," he panted.

Monica smiled for the first time that evening, remembering that even at the most critical of times, Chandler could still keep her happy. That's one of the reasons why she loved him so much.

She kissed him quickly on the cheek, as a way of apologizing, before turning back around and, hesitantly at first, opened up the wide door, where what awaited on the other side made each of them jump out of their own skin.

...

**_To be continued_**

**_AN:_**

_Sorry for the delay but life has become very busy, with never-ending school work and stuff. This story is getting harder to write and so don't expect fast updates, unless one day I magically have free time and would be able to write as much as I want without disruptions. So, I know there aren't many reviews, and if the story sucks or something then feel free to tell me - flames are welcome (I think :S)....  
_

_Anyway, please please please review. Even just a simple thanks or hello would be great. Reviews are very exciting ;)_

_Thanks xx_


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